<scp>Oxic–anoxic</scp> cycling promotes coupling between complex carbon metabolism and denitrification in woodchip bioreactors

McGuire, Philip M.; Butkevich, Natalie; Saksena, Aryaman V; Walter, M. Todd; Shapleigh, James P.; Reid, Matthew C.

doi:10.1111/1462-2920.16387

Cited by 12 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 93 publications

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“…This research has identified a number of opportunities to improve the cost-effectiveness of exogenous carbon dosing that can be pursued in future research. Further study into other lower-cost methods to improve C bioavailability in WBRs (e.g., deliberate drying and reflooding of woodchip media to stimulate release of labile C from woodchip biomass ,, ) is also warranted.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Real-Time Control of Exogenous Carbon Dosing in a Denitrifying Woodchip Bioreactor Treating Agricultural Drainage

Zhang,

Echavarria,

Sang

et al. 2024

ACS EST Eng.

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Nature-based treatment technologies such as denitrifying woodchip bioreactors (WBRs) are employed to manage nitrogen (N) pollution from agricultural nonpoint sources. Due to variability in environmental conditions like temperature and discharge, it is challenging to achieve consistent treatment effectiveness with these passive systems. To improve nitrate (NO 3 − ) load reductions in a field-scale WBR in New York State during cool spring weather, we designed a system for controlled exogenous carbon (C) dosing, allowing rates of C dosing to respond in real time to changing discharge and NO 3 − concentrations. Treatment efficiencies for NO 3 − , acetate mass balances, and other bioreactor properties were monitored from April 5 to June 10, 2023. Biostimulation with 7.5 mg C/L acetate (assuming complete mixing of injected acetate with bioreactor pore water) increased NO 3− removal rates up to 5-fold compared to a model-based scenario of baseline bioreactor performance, and were as high as 0.4 mg NO 3 − −N L −1 h −1 while water temperatures were <12 °C. Increasing acetate concentrations beyond 7.5 mg C/L did not confer a clear improvement in NO 3 − removal rates. Cumulative N load reductions increased from 11.3% under the baseline scenario without C dosing to 24.1% with C dosing. The mass ratio of metabolized C to additional N removal was 2.5:1, although the total dosed C/N mass ratio was 5.1:1 due to incomplete acetate utilization in the reactor. We found evidence that C dosing could enhance the future release of dissolved organic N (DON) and dissolved organic C related to biofilm sloughing. The expense of acetate, with a cost efficiency of 86 USD/kg N, was the main cost driver of the real-time control approach. Our results demonstrate the potential of real-time control of C dosing to meaningfully improve nonpoint source N removal during cool spring conditions but also highlight opportunities for methods to improve acetate utilization efficiencies in order to improve the overall cost-effectiveness of the approach.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Real-Time Control of Exogenous Carbon Dosing in a Denitrifying Woodchip Bioreactor Treating Agricultural Drainage

Zhang,

Echavarria,

Sang

et al. 2024

ACS EST Eng.

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Microbial diversity and gene abundance in denitrifying bioreactors: A comparison of the woodchip surface biofilm versus the interior wood matrix

Duggan DiDominic,

Shapleigh,

Walter

et al. 2024

J of Env Quality

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Excessive amounts of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) can lead to eutrophication in water sources. Woodchip bioreactors have shown success in removing N from agricultural runoff, but less is known regarding P removal. Woodchip bioreactors are subsurface basins filled with woodchips installed downgradient of agricultural land to collect and treat drainage runoff. Microorganisms use the woodchips as a carbon (C) source to transform N in the runoff, with unresolved biological impacts on P. This study aims to explore microbial communities present in the bioreactor and determine whether milling woodchips to probe the microbial communities within them reveals hidden microbial diversities or potential activities. Metagenomic sequencing and bioinformatic analyses were performed on six woodchip samples (i.e., three unmilled and three milled) collected from a 10‐year‐old woodchip bioreactor treating agricultural tile drainage. All samples had similar DNA purity, yield, quality, and microbial diversity regardless of milling. However, when sequences were aligned against various protein libraries, our results indicated greater relative abundance of denitrification and P transformation proteins on the outside of the woodchips (unmilled), while the interior of woodchips (milled) exhibited more functional gene abundance for carbohydrate breakdown. Thus, it may be important to characterize microbial communities both within woodchips, and on woodchip surfaces, to gain a more holistic understanding of coupled biogeochemical cycles on N, P, and C in woodchip bioreactors. Based on these findings, we advise that future microbial research on woodchips (and potentially other permeable organic materials) examine both the surface biofilm and the interior organic material during initial studies. Once researchers determine where specific proteins or enzymes of interest are most prevalent, subsequent studies may then focus on either one or both aspects, as needed.

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Fungal degradation of complex organic carbon supports denitrification in saturated woodchip bioreactors

Wang,

Feyereisen,

Zhang

et al. 2025

Bioresource Technology

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Oxic–anoxic cycling promotes coupling between complex carbon metabolism and denitrification in woodchip bioreactors

Cited by 12 publications

References 93 publications

Real-Time Control of Exogenous Carbon Dosing in a Denitrifying Woodchip Bioreactor Treating Agricultural Drainage

Real-Time Control of Exogenous Carbon Dosing in a Denitrifying Woodchip Bioreactor Treating Agricultural Drainage

Microbial diversity and gene abundance in denitrifying bioreactors: A comparison of the woodchip surface biofilm versus the interior wood matrix

Fungal degradation of complex organic carbon supports denitrification in saturated woodchip bioreactors

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